Princess is now charging a processing fee on Indonesian and Vietnamese visas

[domwild]

Do you know what Princess are charging currently.

Princess had the cheek to charge us US$25 each for stamping the passport as no visa is required any more for Indonesia. This translates to a US$50,000 windfall due to the 2,000 pax. on the Dawn Princess we are going on just for collecting, stamping and returning the passport. As most Indo ports are accessed via tender, there is waiting involved anyway but Princess justifies that charge by claiming waiting times will be reduced that way??

 

The cheek is "drip pricing", as we already paid in full and then received an email advising us of that extra charge. I will have a loud conversation with the head purser on the day of boarding.

 

A further email asked where in the pax contract does it state that Princess is permitted to do this; no answer but before then a telephone call suggested it is a service charge.

[rkmw]

Princess had the cheek to charge us US$25 each for stamping the passport as no visa is required any more for Indonesia. This translates to a US$50,000 windfall due to the 2,000 pax. on the Dawn Princess we are going on just for collecting, stamping and returning the passport. As most Indo ports are accessed via tender, there is waiting involved anyway but Princess justifies that charge by claiming waiting times will be reduced that way??

 

The cheek is "drip pricing", as we already paid in full and then received an email advising us of that extra charge. I will have a loud conversation with the head purser on the day of boarding.

 

A further email asked where in the pax contract does it state that Princess is permitted to do this; no answer but before then a telephone call suggested it is a service charge.

 

i really dont know what the head purser will or can do, he will say he's following orders from higher up

[MicCanberra]

If no visa is required, why are they still charging for it. Perhaps a call to the Australian office may be in order.

[domwild]

If no visa is required, why are they still charging for it. Perhaps a call to the Australian office may be in order.

 

Thanks. Have sent an email to their customer service centre and received a telephone call back, which mentioned that charge as a "service charge"?

 

Before we had to have a visa for Indo and that called for a visa charge levied by the Indo gov. plus the service fee of Princess. Certainly a slightly more involved process than just stamping. Princess must have become addicted to this service charge and decided to levy it again.

 

Been on Princess on the Fort Lauderdale-Sydney stretch and ended up at several South American countries and there had our passports stamped without a US$25 service charge for each country. Remember now that our passports were collected right at the beginning of the cruise without an explanation and that stamping must have been the reason for it.

 

So why charge now??

[domwild]

i really dont know what the head purser will or can do, he will say he's following orders from higher up

 

Correct! But talking slightly louder continental-style might just wake up other passengers to voice their opinions too and will be more embarrassing for Princess than for me.

[erewhon]

We are sailing on HAL in October, two stops in Indonesia, when I contacted HAL re obtaining visa on board the ship, as we had done two years ago at a cost of US$60.00 pp, the reply stated "that as of March 2016, if you are from one of 169 countries, you are able to visit Indonesia visa-free for up to 30 days".

 

We are from NZ, which is one of the 169 countries.

[MicCanberra]

We are sailing on HAL in October, two stops in Indonesia, when I contacted HAL re obtaining visa on board the ship, as we had done two years ago at a cost of US$60.00 pp, the reply stated "that as of March 2016, if you are from one of 169 countries, you are able to visit Indonesia visa-free for up to 30 days".

 

We are from NZ, which is one of the 169 countries.

 

Australia has made the list of countries as well. Hence the query as to why Princess is still charging for a service that is no longer required.

[MicCanberra]

Correct! But talking slightly louder continental-style might just wake up other passengers to voice their opinions too and will be more embarrassing for Princess than for me.

 

Yes, some embarrassment may be needed to stop them proceeding with the service charge for doing nothing.

[Womble99]

Yes, some embarrassment may be needed to stop them proceeding with the service charge for doing nothing.

 

Maybe you should be asking Princess how their service is better than the one provided by the little old ladies in one of the tourist centers we past in NZ offering to stamp our passport for $10NZ?

 

Both offer the same effective service now just a pretty stamp ;)

Edited July 26, 2016 by Womble99

[Opua Kiwi]

Australia has made the list of countries as well. Hence the query as to why Princess is still charging for a service that is no longer required.

The passports are collected and stamped twice by Indonesian Officials onboard.

First with the Visa-exempt stamp, and then again with the departure stamp.

[Russell21]

It's Indonesia, you know exactly where the money is going for the "Free" visa, or at least some of it.:rolleyes:

[mrs and mrs]

Could be embarrassing if no-one tenders and stays on board.

I'm sure the officials will still come on-board as they rampage through the buffet.:)

Imagine it 2500 pax all staying on-board.

Msg sent very clearly.

Hey Capitain,might as well weigh anchor and head for Darwin.

[MicCanberra]

Maybe you should be asking Princess how their service is better than the one provided by the little old ladies in one of the tourist centers we past in NZ offering to stamp our passport for $10NZ?

 

Both offer the same effective service now just a pretty stamp ;)

 

I think they have a different pricing structure though.:(

[MicCanberra]

The passports are collected and stamped twice by Indonesian Officials onboard.

First with the Visa-exempt stamp, and then again with the departure stamp.

 

What a bargain, may as well as gotten the visa.:rolleyes:

Edited July 26, 2016 by MicCanberra

[MicCanberra]

Could be embarrassing if no-one tenders and stays on board.

I'm sure the officials will still come on-board as they rampage through the buffet.:)

Imagine it 2500 pax all staying on-board.

Msg sent very clearly.

Hey Capitain,might as well weigh anchor and head for Darwin.

 

They still charge you whether you stay on board or not.

[MicCanberra]

It's Indonesia, you know exactly where the money is going for the "Free" visa, or at least some of it.:rolleyes:

 

Exactly.

[reedy8]

Yes, some embarrassment may be needed to stop them proceeding with the service charge for doing nothing.

The best way I know to do that is to ask the question on their facebook page.

Most companies don't like to see things raised on Social Media. Ive picked the facebook page that comes up with the Princess icon of the Lady with the blue hair, and will ask now.

It would be nice if we had a mild avalance of queries, who will ask on twitter?

[reedy8]

The best way I know to do that is to ask the question on their facebook page.

Most companies don't like to see things raised on Social Media. Ive picked the facebook page that comes up with the Princess icon of the Lady with the blue hair, and will ask now.

It would be nice if we had a mild avalance of queries, who will ask on twitter?

Ive just posted this on their page, tee hee

 

I'm looking at a Princess Cruise that stops at Benoa Bali, but I see that Princess is charging a $25 service fee for Visa's I find this confusing as Australia is now one of the many countries that don't need a visa for Bali. Can you explain this fee please?

[MicCanberra]

Ive just posted this on their page, tee hee

 

I'm looking at a Princess Cruise that stops at Benoa Bali, but I see that Princess is charging a $25 service fee for Visa's I find this confusing as Australia is now one of the many countries that don't need a visa for Bali. Can you explain this fee please?

 

Cheers, let's see how it goes.:D

[tjwa]

Ive just posted this on their page, tee hee

 

I'm looking at a Princess Cruise that stops at Benoa Bali, but I see that Princess is charging a $25 service fee for Visa's I find this confusing as Australia is now one of the many countries that don't need a visa for Bali. Can you explain this fee please?

 

The port of Benoa can't issue a free visa so you need to get the VOA for which they(Indonesia) charge a fee.

[OzKiwiJJ]

The port of Benoa can't issue a free visa so you need to get the VOA for which they(Indonesia) charge a fee.

 

It's not the Indonesian VOA fee, tjwa, it is a processing fee which Princess slapped on to the visa fee at the start of this year. At that time there was a visa charge of US $35. Princess added US $25 which brought it up to US $60. Then Indonesia added Australia to the free visa list. Princess dropped the $US 35 but still kept the US $25 processing fee.

 

The cruise I was on was a USD onboard cost cruise. I'm not sure if Princess are charging AU $25 on Aussie-based cruises now since it's a processing fee not a visa fee, or if they are still charging it at US $25.

 

What we don't know, and Princess won't say, is whether it is a charge by the Indonesian government, however I believe that other cruise lines that visit Indonesia don't charge passengers a fee. That doesn't mean to say they don't build it into their fares though. Who knows?

[mrs and mrs]

They still charge you whether you stay on board or not.

 

True but in might send a msg that a passengers we are not interested in stopping here as a destination.:)

[Opua Kiwi]

True but in might send a msg that a passengers we are not interested in stopping here as a destination.:)

I enjoy my Bali Beach Bintang Breaks.

Fewer people tendering ashore would be fine by me, less crowded on the open air deck of the big Cat.

[OzKiwiJJ]

True but in might send a msg that a passengers we are not interested in stopping here as a destination.:)

 

We chose not to go ashore when our last cruise stopped at Bali, partly for that reason.

[MicCanberra]

It's not the Indonesian VOA fee, tjwa, it is a processing fee which Princess slapped on to the visa fee at the start of this year. At that time there was a visa charge of US $35. Princess added US $25 which brought it up to US $60. Then Indonesia added Australia to the free visa list. Princess dropped the $US 35 but still kept the US $25 processing fee.

 

The cruise I was on was a USD onboard cost cruise. I'm not sure if Princess are charging AU $25 on Aussie-based cruises now since it's a processing fee not a visa fee, or if they are still charging it at US $25.

 

What we don't know, and Princess won't say, is whether it is a charge by the Indonesian government, however I believe that other cruise lines that visit Indonesia don't charge passengers a fee. That doesn't mean to say they don't build it into their fares though. Who knows?

 

This was the crux of the matter. If Princess is just charging for the sake of what was done or if it is a legitimate claim from the Indonesian officials, they should come clean and tell the passengers.

Edited July 27, 2016 by MicCanberra